Hot and Numbing Stir-Fried New Potatoes (Patreon)

You can get the full recipe right here, from NYTcooking.com

Several years ago, while walking through the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an, I came across vendors deep-frying tiny golden potatoes in broad, shallow pans, then tossing them to order in a hot wok with cumin, dried chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and scallions. The seasoning mixture had both heat and fragrance, plus a distinct umami element that I confirmed to be a of combination of powdered chicken bouillon and MSG.

Xi'an is a city shaped for millennia by its position at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. That long history of exchange—Persian aromatics, Central Asian spice traditions, northern Chinese wheat and noodles, the influences of the city’s large Muslim population—shows up everywhere in the food. In the Muslim Quarter especially, the street cooking is a vivid expression of that blending: lamb skewers dusted with cumin, hand-pulled noodles slick with chili oil, and, on one corner, woks tossing blistered potatoes with warm spices. As far as I know, it's a relatively new dish—15 to 20 years old or so—but judging by the garbage bins overflowing with wooden skewers by the end of the night, it's a popular one, and rightfully so.

When I returned home, I created a version for The New York Times that captures those flavors without requiring a deep-fry setup. Instead, I boil new potatoes in heavily salted water, let them steam-dry, then stir-fry them briefly in the wok with a warm spice mixture of Sichuan peppercorn, fennel, star anise, white pepper, toasted cumin, sesame, and a small amount of bouillon. A few minutes in the wok is enough to give them crisp edges and a deeply aromatic coating.

You can get the full recipe right here, from NYTcooking.com

It’s a technique that’s especially useful during the holidays, when stovetop space and oven time are at a premium: prep the potatoes earlier in the day, then finish them in under 10 minutes. The spice blend is also incredibly versatile—great on wings, grilled vegetables, lamb skewers, popcorn, fries, or anything that benefits from heat, crunch, and numbing aromatics.

But even more than the spice blend, the technique of boiling-the-stir-frying potatoes is ripe for all kinds of exploration. I've made versions with blistered cumin and black mustard seeds, and versions with black pepper and coriander. A simple version with garlic, parsley, and lemon would also be delicious.

However you season them, once you try this method, it becomes one of those dependable tricks you reach for all year long. It’s fast, flexible, and delivers far more flavor than a side dish has any right to.

Hot and Numbing Stir-Fried New Potatoes

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

A fast, high-impact potato side that finishes in minutes.

Make-ahead friendly: boil earlier, stir-fry at mealtime.

Adaptable spice blend inspired by Xi’an street food.

You can get the full recipe right here, from NYTcooking.com